Lightning strike

[Richard]

This is a picture Tom Downey sent to me. Is that an airborne strike on the left of the picture?

It looks like the bolt is truncated which leads me to believe the discharge terminated to ground in the air.

 

[Richard]

Or the picture was taken just prior to the stringers rising up from the ground?

(absence of the stringers would make it appear like an airborne strike)

 

[cwyckham]

This is a picture Tom Downey sent to me. Is that an airborne strike on the left of the picture?

It looks like the bolt is truncated which leads me to believe the discharge terminated to ground in the air.

Well, airplanes aren't grounded unless they're on the ground. All that current would have to go somewhere. I think when an airplane gets hit, the lightening must have to continue to make the full connection between cloud and ground. The airplane just becomes part of the circuit. Which is not a big deal if it's designed to carry current as part of a circuit, and really bad if it isn't and it acts more like a fuse.

Edit: Awesome photo, by the way!

 

[gprellwitz]

It looks to us as if the main bolt on the left is terminating on the power line. Chris, not sure where an airplane figures into your statement, not that it is incorrect, were an aircraft in fact involved!

 

[tonycondon]

there have been documented cases of composite gliders blowing up after lightning strikes. the strike builds pressure up inside and they blow into itsy bits.

 

[wby0nder]

there have been documented cases of composite gliders blowing up after lightning strikes. the strike builds pressure up inside and they blow into itsy bits.

thats why I ALWAYS wear a parachute during a thunderstorm. I keep mine right next to the bed.

MM

 

[Teller1900]

Cessna Citation setting on the ramp here struck by lightening. Engines were not rebuildable. Everything electrical was trashed. The scariest thing was it was one of the newer larger Citations and had all composite moveable surfaces. These exploded into little pieces. IF that had happened in the air loosing the engines would not have made a difference.

CA I flew with today got struck by lightning in flight a few months ago (late summer/early fall between BKW and IAD). He said everything shut off for about 40-50 seconds, then slowly powered back up. After pulling a handful of breakers to silence various alarms and force the avionics back on, they were able to continue the flight like normal. Hell of a story he told.

 

[tonycondon]

thats why I ALWAYS wear a parachute during a thunderstorm. I keep mine right next to the bed.

MM

good one matt. haha